


Stay, My Dream

by xspike4evax



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 17:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8586736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xspike4evax/pseuds/xspike4evax
Summary: When Willow ends up in a fantasy world Anya sends Spike to bring her home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: Blackout from bad_swa over on LJ  
> &  
> Spike at the beach from nekid_spike on LJ

"Help! Giles!" Buffy stumbled through the door, arms full of Willow.

"Good God, Buffy," Giles exclaimed.

"Wills! What happened?" Xander scurried across the room, fingers brushing Willow's hair from her face. Her eyes were closed and she didn't stir, but she was breathing normally.

"I was meeting Willow at the gates to the park. When I get there Willow's already there and talking to a woman." Buffy deposited Willow on the sofa. "I don't know what they were talking about, I only caught the end of the conversation, something about life and fantasy's and then she blows this dust into Willow's face and Willow's out like a light. I tried to wake her but she wouldn't respond. I told the woman to wake her up and she said only Willow could wake herself up. She said Willow had to want to come back but I wasn't to worry because Willow wasn't in any pain and she was happy."

"Well, what does that mean?" Xander demanded, looking down at the sleeping Willow. 

"Sounds like a dream caster," Anya said. "They're drawn to people who don't like reality and they send them into their own person fantasy. Help them escape from what their life has become."

Xander glowered. "This is all Oz's fault." 

Buffy's glower matched his. "All his fault," she agreed. "How do we wake her up?" 

"Someone will have to go into her dream and bring her back," Anya said. 

"Okay then." Buffy clapped her hands together. "Let's make with the magic and the bringing back of our Wills." 

Anya nodded. "I'll need some ingredients. But I can work the spell, no problem." 

Giles stared at her in surprise. "You know the spell off the top of your head?"

"Uh huh." Anya took a seat at the table, flipping to a clean page of the note book which was filled with Giles neat hand writing. "I used a variation of it during my vengeance gig. Only I sent people into a nightmare not a fantasy."

Xander groaned. "An!" 

Before he could get started complaining about her demon days, Anya sent Xander to the magic shop to obtain the ingredients Giles was missing while she, Giles and Buffy set about arranging candles and the various herbs and incense around the room. Anya created a circle and they set Willow in the middle of it, a large candle just above her head to help light the way into her mind. 

Buffy pursed her lips. "Can I put a pillow under her head?”

"If you like," Anya said, sprinkling a little water and oil into a small bowl. "It won't affect the spell." 

Buffy placed a pillow carefully beneath Willow’s head, smoothing her hair neatly around her face. She let out a sigh. “Maybe it's more my fault than Oz’s. I could have been more supportive. I could have been there for her more than I was. It’s my fault, isn’t it, Giles?” 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Giles said soothingly. “It’ll take Willow a while to come to terms with Oz leaving, nothing you can say can make her feel better. She just needs to take some time to deal with things.” 

The door flew open and Xander reappeared, thrusting a small brown bag of herbs into Anya’s hands. “Broke the sound barrier getting there. They had everything you wanted. Let’s bring Willow back.” 

Anya used the small bowl of water and oil to anoint Willow’s forehead and sprinkled the herbs Xander had brought into her hair. “They’ll help make a sort of pathway into her head,” she explained. 

Giles, Buffy and Xander stood in a half circle behind Anya as she lit the candles surrounding Willow. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, beginning to chant. A few moments later her eyes popped open and she moved closer to Willow, taking her hand and trying again. Anya let out a frustrated growl. “It sucks being a human. I don’t have enough power. This was child’s play when I was a vengeance demon.”

“Can I help?” Giles asked. “I’m not without magical ability.” 

Anya nodded and held out her hands to him. “I’ll draw on your power, give myself a little boost.” 

Buffy and Xander watched anxiously as Anya tried again, the air around them fizzling and crackling. A few minutes later Anya opened her eyes again and shook her head. “It’s no good. I can’t do the spell and go into Willow’s dream at the same time. I’m not strong enough.” 

“What about me?” Buffy suggested. “You could use my Slayer power.” 

“Good idea, Buffy. That should do the trick, shouldn’t it?” Giles said. 

“It might work. Lie next to Willow and hold her hand.” Anya instructed. “I can draw your power through the circle.”

Buffy made herself comfortable taking Willow’s hand in hers, lying sideways she gazed at her friends sleeping face, a feeling of guilt prickling along her skin. She so should have been a better friend lately and she’d just abandoned Willow to her pain. She of all people knew what it was like to lose the guy you loved. 

“Ready, Buffy?” 

“Ready, Anya.” 

Anya tried again. She tried twice, but even with Buffy’s power she wasn’t able to force her way into Willow’s dream. 

“You could send me in,” Xander offered. “That way you could focus all your attention on the spell.” 

Anya’s answer was instant and firm. “No. You aren’t going in there. I don’t trust you to come back.” 

Xander frowned. “What does that mean?” 

Buffy pushed up onto her elbows. “Something you’ve forgotten to mention, Anya?” 

Anya sighed. “Willow’s in a fantasy world. Not just any fantasy world, one she’s made for herself. Whatever it is, its the perfect place for her. She’s happy. She won’t want to leave, that’s the point of the spell, it sort of traps you there. Once I get into her head I’ve only got a small window of opportunity to try and convince her to come back otherwise I’m stuck there with her. Forever.” She looked appealingly at Giles. “If Buffy or Xander go in, they won’t leave her there.”

“No,” Giles agreed quietly. “They won’t.” 

Buffy wanted to argue the point but she couldn’t. She glanced at Xander, he remained as silent as she did. Neither of them would leave Willow behind no matter how wonderful her world was and they all knew it. She understood why Anya had been willing to go into Willow’s head, Anya wouldn’t worry about leaving Willow there if she refused to come home. As for Giles, Buffy felt he might talk a good talk, but when it came right down to it, she couldn’t really see him leaving without Willow either. 

Xander turned worried eyes to Willow. “If she won’t come back, what happens to her?” 

“Willow will be fine, in herself. She’ll live out eternity where she is. But there’s no coming back, it’s not an alternate dimension it’s a dream world Willow has created. Her body will die and she’ll be gone from this world forever,” Anya said softly. 

“We can’t let that happen without a fight,” Xander exclaimed. “There has to be a way to at least get into her head and talk to her even if we can’t convince her to come home. We have to find a way to get in!”

They all jumped and Xander let out a startled squeak when a voice came from behind them. 

“Get in where? What’s goin’ on?” 

“Spike.” Xander put a hand to his heart. “I’m getting you a bell. Stop sneaking around.... Spike!” He hopped up and down and pointed at the confused vampire. “Spike. Spike, Buff.” 

“Yes. Yes. Spike!” Buffy nodded vigorously and sat up on her knees. “Spike. Right, Giles?” 

“Spike? Well I.... yes. Yes I think so. Spike, Anya?” 

“Spike.” Anya agreed. 

“Well, now that we’re all agreed I’m Spike. You wanna clue a vamp in, or what?” His eyes fell on the sleeping Willow and a frown creased his forehead. “What the hell is goin’ on?” 

“Willow’s in a dreamland and you have to go and get her.” Xander grabbed Spike’s arm and hauled him into the circle. “Hold her hand.” 

Giles put a hand on Xander’s arm in an effort to calm him down. “Allow me to explain, Spike.” 

“Yeah, think someone better had,” Spike said. 

He listened without interruption as Giles filled him in on Willow’s meeting with a dream caster. Going into the witch’s head to bring her back didn’t much appeal to him, or having his body just lying around unprotected with Harris and the Slayer in the same room. And if he refused to go he was looking at either the sharp end of stake or being kicked out on his arse to fend for himself. No more quick cash from the Watcher. He didn’t much like the idea of a world without the witch in it either. At least the Watcher wasn’t trying to trick him. Giles told him everything, even the risks. But as the Watcher talked, Spike could see the other man’s distress, he could feel their eyes on him, all of them, silently begging him to help them; to at least try. If he went, even if he failed, they’d owe him big time. 

Spike looked again at Willow and was struck by the thought that she would do it for him. The others, wouldn’t, but she would. It was in her nature. She’d risk her life to help him, even though he was a vampire; that was just Willow. The Slayer wouldn’t, and Spike didn’t blame her for that, hell, he wouldn’t give the matter a thought if it were the Slayer lying there, he’d just get himself a nice glass of whisky and a front row seat to wait for the exact moment the bitch croaked it. 

“If she won’t come back with me, how do I get back?” Spike thought even the walls breathed a sigh of relief; he was going to do it. 

“You’ll feel me,” Anya explained. “I’ll have a hold on you of sorts, when it starts to fade just think about me, picture me and hold on to me, I’ll be able to pull you back easily enough. It’s Willow who’ll be the problem. She has to want to come back, this isn’t a grab her and run deal.” 

“So long as I can get back.” 

“You can,” Anya promised. “Now, if you hold her hand I’ll send you on your way.” 

Stretching out beside the sleeping witch, Spike was disconcerted to see the look of gratitude shining in the Slayer’s eyes as she settled back down on Willow’s right. Spike closed his eyes with an inward sigh, it was going to be one of those nights. He never should have left his crypt. But, they probably would have come hunting for him for this very purpose anyway, they’d beg on their knees for his help if it was for Willow. 

And he’d help. Begging or no begging. 

Spike decided he’d examine that odd train of thought later. 

Or maybe not at all. Feelings like these would only get him in trouble. They only ever brought heartache. 

He listened to Anya’s voice as she began chanting again. He heard the sharp intake of breath from Buffy as Anya began to draw on her power. And he must have been mistaken, he hadn’t heard Harris wish him good luck just before sleep claimed him and Spike found himself drifting slowly away from reality. 

The very next thing Spike was aware of was the brightness and warmth of the sun. “Bloody hell!” That stupid bint was trying to fry him! 

It took him a few moments to realise that he wasn’t burning, he wasn’t even sizzling. The sun in a dream world was clearly different to the sun in the real world, and Spike sheepishly let his coat drop from his head back to his shoulders. He had the faintest sensation of Anya in the back of his head, just as she said he would. It was reassuring.   
He looked about him, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin. He had popped up amongst some grassy dunes, white sand stretched out around him and crystal clear blue water lapped up against the sand. 

Spike strode onto the beach, black boots sinking into the sand looking startlingly out of place. He wondered where he might find Willow and how big this dream world of hers actually was. 

Finding her was easier than Spike had thought, just as he rounded the dunes he spotted her, stretched out in the shore line with the waves washing over her. Red hair spilled across the sand, pale naked body writhing, moans of pleasure competing with the rolling waves and between her legs, just as lost in the intensity of the moment, was him!  
Spike’s jaw dropped and he stared bewildered at the couple in the damp sand. Willow’s hands rand up the other Spike’s back, gripping tightly to his shoulder blades. The other Spike’s hair was in complete disarray, droplets of sea water sparkled on his back and flecks of wet sand stuck to his skin. His mouth caught Willow’s swallowing up her soft sounds of pleasure and Spike scowled. 

He was jealous of himself! His life really was pathetic at the moment. 

His jealously increased tenfold when Willow’s head tipped back and the other Spike caressed her throat with kisses before vamping out and sinking his fangs into her skin. 

Oh, to bite again. 

To bite Willow. 

Unlife would be good again. 

The other Spike withdrew his fangs, resting on his elbows he smoothed Willow’s damp hair from her cheek and kissed her. 

Spike inhaled deeply, but he couldn’t catch the scent of her blood, only the salt of the sea. It took him a moment or two to remember that Willow would know the smell of the sea, but she would not know how blood smelt to a vampire; it was one of the differences between her world and reality. That, and allowing him to be out in the sun. 

He watched her stroke the other Spike’s back; he couldn’t see her face very well from where he stood, but Spike could tell from the way his other self looked at her that she was happy and relaxed and sated. 

“I want you for the rest of my life,” Willow said, fingers linking together at his nape. 

“You got me. Just you an’ me, hum?”

“Yes,” she said dreamily. “Just you and me. Do you love me, Spike? I love you, even with my fingernails and eyelashes.”

His other self chuckled. “Every square inch of you, pet.” 

It was Willow’s turn to laugh; it was a happy, carefree sound; Spike hadn’t heard it before. In fact, he hadn’t really seen her happy in a long time. But if this was her fantasy, if this was really what she wanted, if this was what it took to make her happy; Spike knew it would be easy to bring her home again. He could make her fantasy a reality. He could make her as happy as she was now. 

"Come on, love. Let's go an' wash the sand out of every nook and crany."

"Well, if you insist, Spike." 

"Oh I do," he assured her. 

Spike watched them get to their feet, blue eyes sweeping hungrily over Willow's bare skin, a tickle of displeasure in his stomach when his other self ran a hand down her back and bent to kiss her shoulder. She turned her face up to his and kissed him, a long lingering kiss, making Spike wonder if she was ever going to come up for air. 

Finally she stepped back, shaking out a pale lemon dress before slipping it on like a robe and knotting it over her hip. His other self pulled on a pair of black jeans, just like the ones he was currently wearing. Spike couldn't help wondering if he was different in this fantasy of hers. He looked the same, evidently still wore the same type of clothes and he was still a vampire, what had she changed about him to make him perfect? 

They held hands as they made their way down the beach, both bare footed they walked in the surf, the blue and green of the ocean lifting and plunging as the waves rolled forward, their white crested tips foaming for a moment before crashing down on the shore, spreading outwards in gentle circles around their feet before returning to the water leaving the little holes in the wet sand bubbling and hissing as though it were a live thing.

They strolled along in no particular hurry and even though Spike knew he had a time limit in this world, he didn't make his presence known. He wanted to watch them together, he wanted to see what they did and where they went. He wanted to see this life Willow had created for them. 

A few minutes later a house came into view, its white walls peeking out from between the trees lining the edge of the beach. Spike watched them turn towards it, they were laughing and then suddenly Willow gave a playful shriek and tried to dart away from of his other self, but the other Spike was too quick for her, she only got a few steps before he caught her, swinging her up into his arms and carrying her into the house. It was happy, it was easy, it was natural; and a longing uncurled in the pit of Spike's stomach. 

Picking up the pace, Spike came abreast of the house. There was a sun lounger on the sand and a hammock swung next to it. Steps led up to a wraparound porch where a swing was situated beside the door looking out to the ocean. There was a balcony above where French doors stood open, white curtains fluttering in the breeze. Spike crept around to the back of the house, his curiosity too great. 

There was a large garden out the back with a big swimming pool complete with a fountain, a hot tub, a barbeque, table and chairs and sun loungers. There was a long washing line where clothes were pegged out to dry; black t-shirts so obviously belonging to the other Spike mixed with an array of coloured tops and skirts and very interesting lingerie.   
Even though she had only just created this world, it was rather like a dream and the history was already there. She and his other self lived in this house, they had a life in this house. 

A set of patio doors stood open and Spike attempted to enter the house. Although a Spike lived there it was not technically him, but he encountered no barrier and stood looking around the living room. There was a TV and a long comfortable sofa with a small table at one end with a beer can and an ash tray on it, Spike surmised his other self sat in that particular spot. Book cases lined the wall which was of no surprise to him, he knew Willow liked to read and there was a piano in the corner near the front window. He didn't know if Willow played the piano, but even if she didn't in reality, she might be able to do it here. 

On the table beneath the window was a vase of fresh flowers. Spike considered them. Had his other self given them to her? Had he written a note? Had he said he loved her? Is that what Willow wanted, someone to bring her flowers? He could bring her flowers if it made her smile. 

Before he could continue his explorations, a door opened upstairs and the sound of running water reached him. "I'll just be a minute, I'm dying of thirst, Spike." 

He heard the teasing warning, "Be quick about it, pet." 

She came along the landing, padding down the stairs humming quietly to herself. Spike didn't recognise the song. Was it their song? Was there a special moment to go with it he knew nothing about? His jealousy began to rise again. 

He was standing in the shadow of the doorway and Willow didn't notice him. She went through a door to the left, and Spike followed quickly, pausing in the doorway to what turned out to be the kitchen, to admire the pretty picture she made, with her hair, longer in this world, tumbling down her back, darker from the dampness of the water and sticking in patches to the white silk robe she wore. She had worn nothing beneath her dress on the beach and Spike would bet his unlife she wore nothing under that robe. 

"Willow." 

She jumped, her heart slamming into her chest. "Spike! You sacred me half to death." She frowned at him. "You're dressed." 

"It's me, Red. The real Spike from the real world. I've come to get you."

She stared at him in silence for so long Spike thought she didn't believe him. Anya hadn't said Willow wouldn't be aware she wasn't living in reality. Her eyes darted over his shoulder to the stairs before flittering back to his face. 

"How did you get here?" 

"Anya's doing a spell even as we speak. They sent me in to get you. Anya needed to channel the Slayer an' the Watcher to get into your head, I was the next best choice." Spike thought it had turned out quite well with the others unable to come. If the Watcher, the Slayer or Harris had seen his other self and Willow going at it on the beach they'd have had a breakdown. 

Her silence did not bode well. 

"We don't 'ave much time. We need to leave right now, pet. If we don't leave now then we're stuck here forever. No goin' back. Not ever." 

She still didn't reply. 

"Willow? Love? Do you understand what I'm sayin'?" 

She looked again at the stairs and gave a shake of her head. "I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here."

"I saw you, ya know. On the beach." A flush crept into her cheeks and her eyes dropped from his face. Spike moved in closer, touching her cheek lightly. "Come home, Willow. Come home with me. If this is what you want then we'll 'ave it. You wanna leave Sunnydale an' 'ave a house on the beach, then we'll do it. You wanna live on top of a mountain, we'll do that to. You wanna travel the world, we'll go. Just the two of us, just like you said, to... him."

She looked up at him, eyes sad. "If I went back I wouldn't leave Sunnydale. I couldn't leave. I couldn't go living on beaches and on top of mountains and travelling the world with you knowing my best friends were fighting all kinds of things in Sunnydale. I couldn't leave them. I couldn't abandon the Hellmouth. Not even for you." Her shoulders suddenly stiffened and a determined look crossed her face. "But if I stay here I'll have what I want. There'll be no Sunnydale, just peace and love and happiness. Everything will be perfect here. That's what this place is. I can live my life without being plagued with guilt. There's no bad stuff here, Spike. No pain. No misery. No guilt."

She let out a soft sigh, a smile curling her lips. "Besides, I won't leave him. I can't go back to life without him." 

Spike scowled. "He’s me. I’m him; an' I'm offerin' you a life. You'd rather a fantasy Spike to the real thing?" 

"The fantasy loves me. The fantasy won't hurt me," she said softly. 

"I'll love you. I won't hurt you. You just gotta give me that chance." 

“I gave Oz that chance. Xander had that chance,” she paused and wrapped her arms around her torso. “It didn’t work out so well. I like it here. I like being with ....” 

“Him?” Spike almost spat the word. Suddenly he couldn’t think of the other vampire as his other self, as another Spike. He was another rival, like Angelus has been. Just someone else trying to take what he wanted. 

“Yes.” 

“He’s not even real!” Spike snapped, eyebrows rushing together furiously. “He’s a figment of your imagination. I’m real an’ I’m offerin’ you something real.” He hadn’t thought it would be this difficult to convince her to come home with him, especially after seeing he played such a pivotal role in her fantasy. 

His head jerked suddenly, that sensation of Anya was beginning to fade, slowly, the way the day fades to night, but she was fading. 

“We don’t ‘ave much time, pet. You ‘ave ta come home an’ we have to leave now.” 

“Do you mean it? Do you really want something real, Spike?” 

“I do, love.” His voice turned softer in the hopes of coaxing her quicker. “You an’ me. We’ll be happy, you’ll see.” 

“We could have it, Spike. We could have everything. If you stayed.” She caught his hands, squeezing his fingers. “Stay, Spike. Stay with me.” 

Spike hesitated, he glanced around the room, saw the sun gleaming off the pool in the back garden and heard the waves crashing up onto the beach. He saw how she looked in the sun, copper and gold highlights spearing her red her, and how her eyes shone that little bit brighter than usual. 

It was pretty perfect here, he was still a vampire, she hadn’t changed him in that respect and she had given him his bite back and he could walk in the sun. It was a fuller life than the half life of shadows he could live with her back in Sunnydale. He knew she wouldn’t leave the Slayer, she wouldn’t walk away from the Hellmouth and there’d be all kinds of trouble with the Watcher and her pals at the prospect of the two of them being together. 

There was no trouble here. Just love and peace and happiness; she had said so. 

She would never leave him. She would never get old or sick or die. She would never tear his heart out and stomp it into the ground. She would never look at him with secret eyes that said he wasn’t enough. 

Still, insecurities plagued him. The habit was hard to break. 

“I won’t be like.... like him.” 

Willow smiled. “I know. You’re the real deal. You’ll be better.” 

Spike blinked in surprise when Willow’s hands framed his face. “Stay,” she whispered. “Stay with me.”Her thumb traced his cheekbone, his lips, his jaw; before she leant in to kiss him; lips softly seeking, almost as though she were afraid he would resist any advance she made. Spike returned her kiss willingly, lips parting eager for more; wanting it all and then some. 

Her tongue touched lightly to his and Spike groaned as he tasted essence of Willow for the very first time. She was like sun ripened strawberries and all things sweet and good.   
His fingers curled into the hair at the back of her neck; there was no way he could give this up. 

XxX

Anya gave a scream of pain, her head jerking back so harshly she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, hand clutching at her head, a sharp pain shooting along her forehead so intensely it blinded her. 

“An?” Xander broke the circle and knelt next to her. “Are you alright? What happened?” He looked across at the three prone bodies of Buffy, Willow and Spike. “Buff? Wills? Ah, Spike?” 

Buffy let out a low groan and struggled to sit up, she wasn’t used to being sapped of her strength like that. “What happened? Where’s Willow?” She rolled slightly to the side to stare down at Willow’s face. 

Spike’s body suddenly went into spasm and exploded; tiny particles of dust floating in the air, coming to rest on Willow and Buffy and the carpet. 

“Willow!” Xander lurched over Anya to his best friend. He reached her just as she took a deep breath and then went quiet. 

Buffy was patting Willow frantically. “No!” She pressed her hand to Willow’s heart and fumbled at her neck for a pulse; all was silent. 

“No. No. No!” Xander shook his head, pushing Buffy’s hands out of the way and conducting his own search with trembling hands. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. Where is she? She’s supposed to be here.” He rounded on Anya, frightened tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. “Where is she? What happened?”

Anya rubbed her head, the pain receding slowly. “He pushed me out. Spike pushed me out of her head.” 

“He what?” Giles looked completely confused. “Why would he do that? We told him they’d be stuck over there. He knew this was our one and only shot at bringing Willow back and for him to come back.” 

“I told you there was a possibility he wouldn’t be able to convince her to come home. Maybe she convinced him to stay,” Anya said. 

“Why the hell would she want to do that?” Xander exclaimed. 

“I don’t know. I wasn’t there,” Anya pointed out crossly. “I need an aspirin. I never used to get this type of backlash when I was a demon. Humanity’s not all its cracked up to be.”  
“But... but Willow.” There were tears on her cheeks as Buffy looked down at her friend, no longer sleep, no longer there and she didn’t think she could stand it. She didn’t know how she’d survive it. 

“It’s over,” Anya said quietly. 

“At least,” Giles said slowly. “At least we know she’s happy where she is. She’s in a world she created.” 

Xander drew Willow’s lifeless body into his arms, cradling her close, tears falling onto her pale cheeks. He looked appealingly to Buffy. “How can we have a world without Willow in it?”

Buffy swallowed, her heart too heavy to find the strength to even shake her head. Her voice was broken; “I don’t know.” 

Xxx

The sun streamed in through the open window warming his skin. The waves rolled noisily over the sand and the scent of salt and sex and blood was in the air. Spike stretched luxuriously, the cotton bed sheet slipping further down his waist. 

He smiled at the soft kiss Willow pressed to his shoulder. Using her thumb she blotted a stray smear of blood at the corner of his mouth and his eyes dropped to her throat; the bite looked ugly right now, still fresh, but it would scab over and she’d have a nice neat little scar. It was good to have his bite back and have someone so delectable to bite whenever he felt like it. 

She let out a little sigh, tracing his collar bone with the tips of her fingers. She looked deliciously, adorably rumpled. The just been good and properly shagged was the perfect look for her. 

“I was right,” she said smugly. 

“About what, pet?” 

She wasn't exactly sure what had happened to the other Spike, but when the real Spike had decided to stay the fantasy version had disappeared and Willow couldn't be sorry about it. She smiled and kissed Spike lightly. “You are better. Much, much better than any old fantasy.” The grin he gave her was pure masculine pride. She cupped his cheek, thumb tracing the curve of his eyebrow. “I love you, Spike. I’m glad you stayed.”

Spike kissed her forehead gently. “Love you too, baby. Wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else.” 

Finally, after a hundred and twenty six years on earth, he was enough for somebody.


End file.
